Self-reported community participation experiences and preferences of autistic adults

Abstract

Community participation is essential to overall health and well-being. However, research on the community participation experiences and preferences of autistic adults is lacking. Results from a large, mid-Atlantic statewide needs assessment survey found that a number of activities that include social interactions or are focused on meeting daily needs are important to autistic adults and that they participate in these activities to varying degrees. Going shopping at a grocery store was the most common community activity reported and also rated as important by the largest proportion of respondents. Autistic adults with a co-occurring intellectual disability participated in fewer activities and reported fewer activities as important. Sufficiency, the extent to which each individual was satisfied with their level of participation in important activities, was greater for autistic adults with higher incomes and lower for autistic adults who lived independently or had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Breadth, or the number of important activities participated in during the past month, was lowest for autistic adults living in facilities and those with co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, and higher for adults with self-reported service needs. As new community participation requirements for Medicaid roll out across the United States, autistic adults can provide critical feedback to inform policy and practice.